Review and Measurements of the Topping D70 DAC

[LuckyLuke575]

Hello everyone ! I am new to the forum.
Topping D70 just arrived. Finish is exemplar. I test it in mode USB- XLR. Top !
It takes 1 or 2 weeks to make him heat. Too early to say, but already Top!

I put the filters on it as they are at Topping.

1-2 lin. phase

3-4 min. phase

6 mix. phase




View attachment 27073

For the moment I prefer FIR 2 - Slow lin. phase.

I did not find how to switch to pure mode DAC, without pre amplifier.

To be continued.

Sorry for my english, I use webtraduction. )

This chart is great! I'm assuming it also applies to the DX3 Pro settings?

 

[egbx]

Hello, new here. Quick D70 question: when playing tracks at different sample rates, is the transition seamless? My current rig takes a while to sync to a new sample rate and frequently I need to restart the track to get sound. I don’t know if newer DACs are better in that respect (I use a fairly old Outlaw 990). Thanks!

Eduardo

 

[imagidominc]

Thinking about copping this on Drop. I have a THX 789 so I have been curious about getting a balanced DAC for some time. I have an EL DAC and honestly listening to it with the THX and HD6XX I honestly can't imagine music getting more endgame than that. It just sounds so damn good. Would getting the D70 be worth the cash to run balanced?

 

[amirm]

The main benefit of balanced is to avoid ground loops. If you are not hearing buzz/hum, then you are good to go and no need to upgrade.

 

[Moriarty]

If you are lucky and live in USA, you can buy Topping D70 on Massdrop for 425 USD now (one day left). I almost pulled a trigger, but I realized it has US standard plug and I can't change it. Since I live in Europe and need a European standard plug, such deal has no sense to me .

BTW, one guy told me he isn't able to set this device as dedicated native DAC and disable the volume controls. He knows producer's advice (press "select", turn on etc.), but it simply doesn't work in his case. It doesn't look good.

 

[gvl]

On the DX7s you switch between the modes with a long press on the volume knob, perhaps on the D70 you need to hold the input select button.

 

[deafenears]

If you are lucky and live in USA, you can buy Topping D70 on Massdrop for 425 USD now (one day left). I almost pulled a trigger, but I realized it has US standard plug and I can't change it. Since I live in Europe and need a European standard plug, such deal has no sense to me .

It's standard IEC C14 inlet so any power cable with IEC C13 connectors should do it.

 

[Veri]

If you are lucky and live in USA, you can buy Topping D70 on Massdrop for 425 USD now (one day left). I almost pulled a trigger, but I realized it has US standard plug and I can't change it. Since I live in Europe and need a European standard plug, such deal has no sense to me .

Another easy solution https://www.amazon.de/Hama-Reisestecker-Brasilien-Schutzkontaktsteckdosen-Frankreich-Weiß/dp/B00NBLSLXS/
the 'ring' also lights blue which even makes it looks cool. I've used many of these kind of 'travel' adapters and they always do the job just fine.

 

[Moriarty]

Thanks! Yes, it would work, but still... I would like to buy just "proper" version, with no such flaws. It is also more easy to resell in my part of the world if necessary.

 

[deafenears]

I would like to buy just "proper" version, with no such flaws

What flaws?

It's just a cable, which a local importer / reseller would have just swapped out. You can do that yourself and save $$$.

 

[kukocz]

Especially that is is a standard "computer" type cable. You can use anyone you find under your desk I don't believe it could be a serious deal-breaker for anybody.

 

[MWC]

Eduardo (egbx) asked:
Hello, new here. Quick D70 question: when playing tracks at different sample rates, is the transition seamless? My current rig takes a while to sync to a new sample rate and frequently I need to restart the track to get sound. I don’t know if newer DACs are better in that respect (I use a fairly old Outlaw 990). Thanks!

I have a D50 and would expect the D70 to be the same in this regard. I tested changing from different PCM resolutions and also to DSD and back to PCM and all changes were instant and silent. I did this by making a playlist of the various tracks.

 

[Rutarauko]

Hi, new to this forum...

BTW, one guy told me he isn't able to set this device as dedicated native DAC and disable the volume controls. He knows producer's advice (press "select", turn on etc.), but it simply doesn't work in his case. It doesn't look good.

To enter config menu in the D70, keep "Select" buttom pressed and then turn on the unit using the switch located at the rear (not the power button in the front). Hope that helps.

Regards!

 

[Daverz]

You set it between -99 and 0db as you see fit. 0db being max volume. You don't want to go too low with digital volume control as it will lose resolution. If you have a sensitive amp and speakers and find your normal listening volume is -70dB you will probably be better of with an analog volume control between the DAC and the amp that has unity gain. One danger is Topping remotes have a button that sets the output to 0db with a single key press, which may well damage your speakers, so careful there.

This is why I was hoping we could get Amir to test SINAD and dynamic range at several different digital volume levels. Perhaps I should kick him something on Patreon to encourage him, but it would unlikely to be more than "beer money".

I'm also wondering if the D70 has a better digital volume implementation than my ES9018-based Auralic Vega.

 

[JohnYang1997]

This is why I was hoping we could get Amir to test SINAD and dynamic range at several different digital volume levels. Perhaps I should kick him something on Patreon to encourage him, but it would unlikely to be more than "beer money".

Dynamic range will just decrease by the amount of attention. The noise doesn't decrease. Distortion will be lower around -6db to -20db for most chips. But as you decrease level, noise will dominate the thd+n figure. The measurements at different digital level won't show anything special.

 

[Daverz]

Dynamic range will just decrease by the amount of attention.

I think you meant attenuation, but I like the idea that we are not paying as much attention as the volume is lowered anyway.

The noise doesn't decrease. Distortion will be lower around -6db to -20db for most chips. But as you decrease level, noise will dominate the thd+n figure. The measurements at different digital level won't show anything special.

I guess that's kind of my point. All sorts of subjective claims are made for what happens when digital attenuation falls below some level, "soundstage collapses", "robbed of dynamics", that sort of thing.

 

[JohnYang1997]

I think you meant attenuation, but I like the idea that we are not paying as much attention as the volume is lowered anyway.



I guess that's kind of my point. All sorts of subjective claims are made for what happens when digital attenuation falls below some level, "soundstage collapses", "robbed of dynamics", that sort of thing.

Oh you are trying to let amirm prove that digital volume doesn't decrease resolution/or at least not that bad. Digital volume control doesn't decrease noise, so if the noise is somewhat high(corresponding to the sensitivity of transducer), analog potentiometer is a must. The convention that digital volume degrades sound could well be that the equipment are not very well performed in our standard nowadays. So in order to have the best out of the equivalent, analog control is needed. We made too much progress that we kind of have little idea how poor many of the stuffs were.
Personally, i wouldn't go lower than -30db on digital control, and -40db is the limit.

 

[amirm]

This is why I was hoping we could get Amir to test SINAD and dynamic range at several different digital volume levels. Perhaps I should kick him something on Patreon to encourage him, but it would unlikely to be more than "beer money".

It is planned as a project.

 

[Moriarty]

To enter config menu in the D70, keep "Select" buttom pressed and then turn on the unit using the switch located at the rear (not the power button in the front). Hope that helps.

I have a confirmation it works! Thank you.

 

[Daverz]

Oh you are trying to let amirm prove that digital volume doesn't decrease resolution/or at least not that bad. Digital volume control doesn't decrease noise, so if the noise is somewhat high(corresponding to the sensitivity of transducer), analog potentiometer is a must. The convention that digital volume degrades sound could well be that the equipment are not very well performed in our standard nowadays. So in order to have the best out of the equivalent, analog control is needed. We made too much progress that we kind of have little idea how poor many of the stuffs were.
Personally, i wouldn't go lower than -30db on digital control, and -40db is the limit.

I'm often below -30 dB with pop music, even with the lower 23 dB gain setting on my Bryston (sensitivity is 100 W at 2V). The 4V output of the Vega DAC is a lot of gain that has to be dumped. But I really do not want the extra expense and potential signal degradation of a pre-amp. Something like the Benchmark ABH2 would have more ideal gain settings, but I'm skeptical that I'll really get a sonic improvement beyond alleviating some audiophilia nervosa.

I have a pair of Rothwell 10 dB inline XLR attenuators that I bought for direct DAC to amp experiments. These I do find "rob dynamics" (though I can hardly do an A/B with them, let alone a blind test). That may be in issue with impedance. And as we saw with Amir's review of the Schiit Sys, passives are not useful through their whole volume range, in that case distortion increasing quickly below the 12 o'clock volume setting.